Echinacea plant named &#39;HILMOOOAWAK&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Echinacea  plant named ‘Hilmoooawak’, characterized by its upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; strong and healthy roots; dark green-colored leaves; strong flowering stems; numerous large inflorescences with red purple-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Echinacea purpurea.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HILMOOOAWAK’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea purpurea, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Hilmoooawak’.

The new Echinacea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new strong and freely flowering Echinacea plants with attractive ray and disc floret coloration.

The new Echinacea plant originated from an open-pollination in June, 2009 in De Kwakel, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Echinacea purpurea identified as code designation T 14012 A, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Echinacea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands in July, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea plant by tissue culture in a controlled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since September, 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Hilmoooawak’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Hilmoooawak’ as a new and distinct Echinacea plant:

1. Upright plant habit.

2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.

3. Strong and healthy roots.

4. Dark green-colored leaves.

5. Strong flowering stems.

6. Numerous large inflorescences with red purple-colored ray florets.

7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Echinacea differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Echinacea are smaller than plants of the female parent selection.

2. Plants of the new Echinacea have smaller leaves than plants of the female parent selection.

3. Plants of the new Echinacea have larger inflorescences than plants of the female parent selection.

4. Ray florets of plants of the new Echinacea are darker red purple in color than ray florets of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of Echinacea purpurea ‘Kim's Knee High’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,242. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Kwakel, The Netherlands, plants of the new Echinacea differed primarily from plants of ‘Kim's Knee High’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Echinacea had stronger and healthier roots than plants of ‘Kim's Knee High’.

2. Leaves of plants of the new Echinacea were darker green in color than leaves of plants of ‘Kim's Knee High’.

3. Ray florets of plants of the new Echinacea were darker red purple in color than ray florets of plants of ‘Kim's Knee High’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Echinacea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Hilmoooawak’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring and early summer in 17-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse and “finished” in an outdoor nursery in De Kwakel, The Netherlands under cultural practices typically used in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 20° C. and night temperatures ranged from 7° C. to 15° C. Plants used for the photograph and description were 20 weeks old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea ‘Hilmoooawak’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Echinacea purpurea             identified as code designation T 14012 A, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five weeks at             temperatures about 20° C. for the first two weeks, then at             temperatures about 12° C. to 14° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six weeks at             temperatures about 20° C. for the first two weeks, then at             temperatures about 14° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About five             weeks at temperatures about 14° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six             weeks at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; strong and             healthy; typically white to brown in color, actual color of             the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water             quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright             plant habit, narrow inverted triangle; freely branching             habit with about 14 branches developing per plant;             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 52.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 35.8 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 32.3 cm. Diameter: About             8 mm. Internode length: About 5.3 cm. Aspect: Erect to about             10° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Moderately to             densely pubescent, strigose; rough. Color: Close to between             187B and 200B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 12 cm.         -   Width.—About 5.4 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate to narrowly ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Long attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire to bluntly and broadly dentate; undulate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Moderately to densely             pubescent, strigose; rough.         -   Luster, upper surface.—Slightly glossy.         -   Luster, lower surface.—Matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to between             137B and 143A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to             146A to 146B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to             N137A to N137B; venation, close to 148B. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to between 146A and 147B;             venation, close to 147D.         -   Petioles, basal leaves.—Length: About 4.7 cm. Diameter:             About 4 mm by 5 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture,             upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface:             Sparse pubescence along mid-vein. Color, upper surface:             Close to 146C; proximally tinged with close to 176D;             margins, close to N137C. Color, lower surface: Close to             146C; proximally tinged with close to 176C; margins, close             to 137C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Terminal rotate single-type inflorescences with             ray and disc florets arranged on a capitulum; inflorescences             positioned upright above the foliar plane on mostly upright             and strong peduncles.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 14             inflorescences per plant at one time.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet, pleasant.         -   Time to flower.—Plants begin flowering about 13 to 18 weeks             after planting; in the garden, plants flower continuously             from mid-June to late September in The Netherlands.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about three weeks on the plant; inflorescences             persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About             2.6 cm. Shape: Flattened globular. Color: Involucral bracts,             close to 143B to 143C strongly tinged with close to 181A to             181B; ray florets, close to 185A to 184C and 187A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 11.1 cm. Depth (height):             About 5.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 4 cm. Receptacle height:             About 1.1 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.2 cm. Receptacle             color: Close to N155A.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 22 arranged in             a single whorl at the base of the receptacle. Length: About             5.4 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex:             Praemorse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly velvety. Texture, lower             surface: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper surface: Matte.             Luster, lower surface: Slightly glossy. Aspect: Horizontal             to drooping, about 30° from horizontal. Color: When opening,             upper surface: Close to 61B to 61C. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 59C to 59D. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to between 64B and 67A; color becoming closer to 68A             to 68B with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 59C; color becoming closer to 63B with development.         -   Disc florets.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Tubular, apices acute. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 400. Texture, inner and outer surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Luster, inner and outer surfaces: Glossy.             Color, immature, inner and outer surfaces: Apex: Close to             176A. Mid-section: Close to 144B. Base: Close to 150C.             Color, mature, inner and outer surfaces: Apex and             mid-section: Close to 183A. Base: Close to 144A.         -   Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret. Shape:             Acicular. Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Attenuate. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Luster: Glossy. Color: Apex: Close to N30C             to N30D; at the apex, close to N34A. Mid-section: Close to             144B. Base: Close to 145B.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 52             arranged in about four whorls. Length: About 9 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Moderately pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 143A. Color, lower surface: Close to 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 15.9 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright. Texture: Moderately             pubescent, strigose. Color: Close to between N186C and 200B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on ray and disc             florets): Quantity per floret: About five. Filament length:             About 4 mm. Filament color: Close to 151D. Anther shape:             Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About 2.5 mm. Anther color:             Close to 200A to 200B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:             Close to 17A. Gynoecium (present only on disc florets):             Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma             shape: Decurrent, unequal. Stigma color: Close to 187A.             Style length: About 6 mm. Style color: Close to 185A. Ovary             color: Close to 145D. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit             development have not been observed on plants of the new             Echinacea. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Echinacea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have exhibited good     garden performance and to tolerate rain and wind. Plants of the new     Echinacea have been observed to tolerate high temperatures of about     35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 4. 

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘Hilmoooawak’ as illustrated and described. 